


TFP = John's Mind Bungalow: The Evidence

by LadyThiggy



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, John's Bisexual Trauma Nightmare, John's Mind Bungalow, Meta, TJLC | The Johnlock Conspiracy, The Final Problem, The Lost Special, tinhatting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 13:05:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10617498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyThiggy/pseuds/LadyThiggy
Summary: This is a brief summary of why I believe The Final Problem takes place in John's Mind Bungalow ala The Abominable Bride taking place in Sherlock's Mind Palace. This trades off a number of popular theories that I don't necessarily go into great detail about here, but should be easily followed regardless.Unedited for no one's pleasure.





	

Here is why I think The Final Problem is John's Bisexual Trauma Nightmare:

1) The fade to red at the end of The Lying Detective. It doesn't take a genius to equate the red to blood and the likelihood that John is losing a lot of it after being shot by Eurus. Simply tranquillizing John doesn't make any sense, especially if Eurus's goal is to hurt Sherlock and Mycroft as much as possible and/or get them out of the way.

2) The surreal tone of the entire episode. It goes from cannon typical situations to James Bond/Saw style shenanigans real quick. An example is Mycroft's umbrella; Mark Gatiss stated in an interview that he originally wanted the umbrella to house all sorts of gadgets, but that the idea was shot down as it would turn the show into something completely different.

3) John's idiocy, i.e. not recognizing a grenade or human bones. His less than stellar self-esteem is a running theme throughout the entire show as is his tendency to defer to the Holmes brothers in areas that he considers 'their' expertise so it's not surprising that his subconscious would reflect that.

4) John has a strong moral code yet he's chosen careers likely to place him in situations that would challenge that code and even force him to choose to bend it in order to serve the greater good. His careers also place him in situations where making the wrong choice will have very real and immediate, sometimes deadly, consequences. The trials are a reflection of that:  
a) the governor and his wife are a reflection of his wartime experience, given the guerilla nature that often mark the current conflicts in the middle east there were probably times where the line between civilian/combatant was not always clear, much less the ability to establish whether or not they posed a real and immediate threat.  
b) the 3 gerridebs represent the guilt he carries knowing he's most likely caused, inadvertently or not, the deaths of innocent people and his lack of guilt over the deaths of non-innocent people whose deaths he's caused.  
c) Sherlock having to choose between John and Mycroft is yet another example of having to choose between one's heart and one's head. This concept has been illustrated far more explicitly in Sherlock's arc but is woven through John's as well most notably in his pursuit of girlfriends/marriage to Mary because he thinks being with a woman is what he's supposed to do as opposed to his relationship with Sherlock the man he so obviously loves. Sherlock turning the gun on himself is indicative of John believing that his romantic feelings towards Sherlock are unrequited and/or worthless.  
d) the bit at Musgrave is John reconciling himself to the fact that even though 'there's always been two of us' his relationship with Sherlock is never going to be more than platonic/familial.

5) Molly's scene. (Yes this gets it's own bulletin and possibly eventually it's own meta.) This was manifested directly by hearing Sherlock admit he loves John for the first time at John's wedding to Mary. He's always wanted to hear those words, but the only time he's heard them was during the same speech where Sherlock essentially gave him away to someone else. Also the fact that the scene completely destroys four seasons of Molly's character development is a reflection John's belief that both he and Molly are pathetic for pinning away after Sherlock for as long as they have with little reward for their devotion.

6) "It only took five minutes for her to do all of this to us." Mind Bungalow (MB) Eurus is a representation of John's self-loathing due to his inability to come to terms with both his own sexuality and the darker aspects of his personality such as his ability to shoot the cabbie (more or less in cold blood) in ASIP. The Christmas meeting between Eurus and Moriarty is John's subconscious trying to come to terms with whatever Moriarty said to him at the pool in TGG before Sherlock shows up. Moriarty is a master manipulator and I don't doubt for a second that he used his alone time with John to his best advantage. Given John's repressive tendencies it's little wonder that he would internalize whatever bile Moriarty fed him, nor that Moriarty would be able to strike at the weakest and darkest parts of John, and that it would subsequently affect his beliefs and behaviors. This influence and fear of Moriarty is also shown via the videos that Moriarty pre-recorded for Eurus.

7) The Redbeard being a metaphor for Sherlock's friend is a direct result of Moriarty referring to John as Sherlock's pet during the pool scene in TGG.

8) points 7 and 4.d combine to reflect John's belief that his relationship with Sherlock is ultimately going to be responsible for his death.

9) Mary's DVD at the end is his subconscious reaction to finally being medically stabilized after being shot by real Eurus and his conviction that even if it's not the romantic relationship he craves with the man he loves, that there will still be a relationship and that as previously he can find a way to be satisfied/fulfilled by the intimacies he and Sherlock do share.

10) SHERLOCK WOULD NEVER IGNORE JOHN'S "VATICAN CAMEOS"!


End file.
